II The Magic of Synchronous and Asynchronous Tools

II. The Magic of Synchronous and Asynchronous Tools and Techniques Curt Bonk, Professor, Indiana University President, Course. Share and Survey. Share cjbonk@indiana. edu http: //php. indiana. edu/~cjbonk http: //Course. Share. com

Ten Minnie-Myths of E-Learning and the Data to Dispel Them (Corporate) Dr. Curtis J. Bonk Alias: Mickey Mouse President, Course. Share. com Associate Professor, Indiana University http: //php. indiana. edu/~cjbonk, cjbonk@indiana. edu With supporting Help from: Ms. Minnie Mouse Orlando, Florida Minnie@disney. com

Corporate ELearning Myths For full report, see: http: //Publication. Share. com

Myth #1. E-learning will soon go away.

Myth #2. E-learning can now take place at home and on the road.

Myth #3. Everyone is evaluating e-learning but us.

Myth #4. Learner completion rate has magical importance.

Myth #5. Work-related incentives are important in motivating elearners.

Myth #6. Thiagi has convinced the world of the need for interactivity and social ice-breakers.

Myth #7. Watch out…trainers will soon be out of a job.

Myth #8. Traditional instructional strategies (e. g. , lecture, role play, etc. ) will not work online.

Myth #9. Trainers operate alone and do not want to give away trade secrets.

Myth #10. Trainers are loyal.

Want a copy of the report? ? ? See: Publication. Share. com

Free Reports!!!

What are your e-learning myths? ? ?

II. E-Learning Magic…. or lack thereof…

Lack of Motivation or Incentive to Complete!!! Corporate Study • 55% did not track or did not know their completion rates • Of those that did, 22% reported completion rates of less than a fourth of students. • Nearly half reported less than 50% completion rates • Only 2% reported 100% completion.

E-Learning: Harnessing the hype. Cohen & Payiatakis (2002, Feb). Performance Improvement, 41(7), 7 -15. …both instructional and graphic (design)…must be compelling and engaging enough to keep the learner involved, interested, and stimulated…The ideal future is a learning experience designed to be memorable, motivational, and magical if it is to make a lasting impact on the capabilities of the learner.

Motivating Employees During Down Times, Training Magazine, April 2002 “True motivation comes from within. Programs of manipulation, incentive schemes and other gimmicks never bring about the ongoing change that is truly needed. Ultimately, we have to be inwardly motivated and emotionally engaged while doing it. ” R. Brayton Bowen, Author of Recognizing and Rewarding Employees.

Online Training Boring? From Forrester, Michelle Delio (2000), Wired News. (Interviewed 40 training managers and knowledge officers)

Six Types of E-learning Content Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations 1. Extended Books 2. Extended Lectures 3. Extended Communities 4. Extended Expert Access 5. Embedded Help 6. Simulations

Part III. Motivational Strategies: Asynchronous E-Learning

Types of Asynchronous Activities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Online Testing Learner-Content Interactions Scenarios Games and Simulations Sharing Perspectives from Cases, Internships, Jobs, Field Experiences 6. Collaborative or Virtual Team Writing 7. Reflection on Online Cases 8. Web Resource Reviews 9. Concept Mapping 10. Annotations and Animations in E-Books

1. Online Testing

1. Online Exams and Gradebooks

Test Selection Criteria (Hezel, 1999; Perry & Colon, 2001) • • Easy to Configure Items and Test Handle Symbols, Timed Tests Scheduling of Feedback (immediate? ) Flexible Scoring and Reporting – (first, last, ave, by individual or group) • Easy to Pick Items for Randomizing • Randomize Answers Within a Question • Weighting of Answer Options Web Resource: http: //www. indiana. edu/~best/

Electronic Gradebooks (Vockell & Fiore, 1993) • Calculate scores, store info • Weight scores • Flag students with certain characteristics • Print reports by individual or group • Provide prompt feedback • But inflexible, impersonal, & can be incorrect

2. Learner-Content Interactions (Option 6)

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Multiple Choice Pros – Simple to figure out – Provides new info – Cheap to create • Multiple Choice Cons – – Can lead the learner too much Railroads people into a certain decision May be too easy May not be sufficiently rich to capture real world

2. More Learner Content Interaction from Option 6

2. Even More Option 6 (Option 7? )

3. Scenarios: Wisdom Tools: Time. Revealed Scenarios (TRS)

Strengths of Scenarios per Marty Siegel (May, 2003) • They take little time to build • They are (in comparison) cheap to build and implement; weeks vs. months (soon, even in days!) • They follow a fixed path (some may see this as a flaw, but it's not); the designer controls the path experience; thus, important • Paths are always experienced. • Because they describe a reality, like a good novel, it can feel VERY realistic.

Wisdom. Tools™ Scenarios… • Incorporate case study methodology, simulation and story-telling • Occur in a rich context and are authentic in form • Allow exploration of multiple paths from various perspectives • Involve interactive real-world tasks with no single, correct answer

Why Scenarios? • Scenarios equip individuals or teams to achieve results on mission critical or complex issues • Scenarios create a shared experience at the learner’s convenience • Learners can “see” failure, be challenged by other viewpoints, reflect and apply new learning, build community and culture • Self and group assessment provided via quizzes, surveys, and facilitators/coaches • Scenarios lead to insight, judgment, and strategic thinking

4. Games and Simulations “There’s something new on the horizon, though: computer-based soft skills simulations, which let learners practice skills such as negotiation and team building. ” Clark Aldrich, The State of Simulations, Sept. 2001, Online Learning

4. A. Simple Games (7 -Down) (see Thiagi. com Or deepfun. com) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Puzzle games Solve puzzle against timer Learn concepts Compete Get points

4. Games and Simulations B. Online Jeopardy Game www. km-solutions. biz/caa/quiz. zip

Simulation Based Airline Flight Simulators Simu. Learn Off-the-Shelf Flight Simulators The Sims Medal of Honor Solitaire Wheel of Fortune Games 2 Train You Don’t Know Jack Game based Accenture/Indeliq Visual Purple Cognitive Arts Will Interactive Choose-your-own Adventure (Clark Aldrich, 2003) Story Based

Simulation-Based: Number of Calculations/Turn (Clark Aldrich, 2003) 1000 K 10 100 1995 1000 2000 10 K 2005 2010 2015

Simu-game-story: Development Budget (Clark Aldrich, 2003) 2 M 5 K 1990 50 K 1995 500 K 2000 2005

Mark Brodsky, May 7, 2003 “Another business driver that will ultimately perpetuate an important trend in e-learning, specifically the greater use of simulation-based e-learning, is the migration of more and more services to automated or "self-service" applications. With the greater use of self-service applications, the type of training organizations provide their employees will change. ”

Marty Siegel, IU Professor, and Founder of Wisdom Tools (May, 2003) • Simulations are data driven. There's a model of behavior that underlies them, simulating some process or behavior. • A simulation approximates reality. It is not reality. • Simulations allow users to interact with characters or events or processes and see what happens. • They're very interactive (most of the time) and can include sophisticated graphics. • Many computer games employ simulation technology. MAXIS makes great games.

Marty Siegel, IU Professor, and Founder of Wisdom Tools • “If you're building a game and selling 10 s of thousands of copies, you can invest a lot to build them and sell them for $50 a pop. ” • “If you're using them for training, they'll still cost a bundle to build, and you'll need to charge a lot to implement (that is, if the simulation is specific to a company; if it's general, then you can sell it for less; it still costs a bundled to produce). . And it takes a lot of time to produce. ”

4 D. Turn Based Simulations (e. g. , Chess)

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Turn-Based Simulation Pros – Promotes contemplation, thoughtfulness, and reflection – Less expensive – Sense of flow • Turn-Based Simulation Cons – Not real – People get more manipulative – Need to be highly positive experiences

4 E. Complex Virtual Worlds/Virtual Reality l. Avatars--representations of people l. Objects--representations of objects l. Maps--the landscape which can be explored l. Bots--artificial intelligence

The Sims: What will strike you? Clark Aldrich, Simulations and the Future of Learning, Jossey-Bass, Fall 2003 • Rudimentary and incomplete the game feels – The Sims don’t talk, they mumble, cleaning the house is a drag • The interface is confusing • How much fun it is – Earning money is rewarding, you can decorate your house, flirt with the neighbor’s spouse, buy expensive tools, sleep late, invite friends over instead of going to work • You might even reflect on your own life • Time is a precious commodity

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Abstract Manipulation Pros – – More options Interface can help organize info Responsive in real time Intuitive • Abstract Manipulation Cons – – Very expensive Need instructions to use; must be committed As much art as science Many are younger than age 35

4 F. Simu. Learn’s Virtual Leader

Virtual Leader Components 1. Power: explores the effects of informal (i. e. , expertise and recognized alliances) and formal (e. g. , title) power 2. Ideas: explores effective strategies for generating ideas 3. Tension: looking at how tension affects performance • Once the 3 ingredients are aligned and balanced, the leaders commit to a course of action.

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Computer Graphics Pros – Easy to tweak – Taps creativity of user – Explores uncharted territory – Generalizes skills – Good for high level business skills • Computer Graphics Cons – Expensive – Requires significant processing power – Skill base to produce is hard to find

4 G. Ninth House Publishing

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Video Based Pros – Lots of details, nuances, & specific behaviors – Feel serious and real – Over-forty people are used to TV – Works off dumb terminals • Video Based Cons – Expensive – Huge bandwidth required – Interaction with video has delays – Hard to get just right – Hard to make small changes

4 H. e. Drama (Front Desk Hiring)

4 I. Intermezzon: Money. Maker Sales Training

4 J: Virtual University Adminstrator

4 K. Indeliq • Simulation: Perform Real-World Tasks – Conduct analyses, make decisions, see immediate results, model expert decisions and behaviors • Feedback: Evaluate and Coach – Identify mistakes, reinforce best practices, provide individualized coaching, offer feedback unique to each learner • Reference: Fill Knowledge Gaps – Access expert war stories and perspectives, read industry examples and cases consult rich glossary, complete practice activities

4 L. Florio: simulation to see connection between individuals actions and overall corporate performance

Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Branching Calculation Models Pros – Adaptive – You know how they got there, so can embed linear instructional content – Allows for more hand-holding – Can be cost effective – Consistency in assessment – Good for story telling • Branching Calculation Models Cons – More of an assessment than an experience – Feels manipulative if can’t do what want to do – Feels confined to set space

Army Simulations

4 M. Army AC 3 -DL Simulation Tools

4 N. America’s Army • A highly realistic and innovative PC video game that puts you inside an Army unit. • You’ll face your first tour of duty along with your fellow Soldiers.

Differences between Scenarios and Simulations Marty Siegel, 2003 1. Scenarios are designed to ensure learners are directed towards a specific outcome or “path” whereas simulations can yield different results or outcomes and important paths are often missed 2. Simulations take significantly more time, resources and money to develop than Scenarios 3. People tend to try to “game” a simulation by tweaking inputs vs. directly facing the types of challenging situations they see on the job 4. Simulations tend to be built for individuals instead of encouraging collaboration amongst individuals grappling with a complex challenge 5. Collaborative simulations are very expensive and time consuming to build and even then must be operated in a synchronous environment 6. Scenarios allow learners to build upon each other’s experiences as they are reacting to the story 7. Scenarios provide necessary context around available resources and ensure their proper use, leveraging the prior investments made in these resources

Simulation Issues Clark Aldrich, A Field Guide to Educational Simulations • Harder to evaluate simulation content—no ID theories • Huge cultural shift from: – Just-enough, just-in-time, fast, relevant, bite-sized content • • Hard to know how much guidance to give learner SME and designers difficult to identify People may try beat to system rather than learn Bandwidth an issue; especially on multiplayer games • Tough to evaluate what people learned • No real standards

5. Case-Based Learning: A. Business

5. Case-Based Learning: B. Medical: My Patient. com

5. Case-Based Learning: B. Medical: My Patient. com

5. Case-Based Learning: C. Educational: Sim. Teacher

6. Sharing Perspectives Experiences Perspective sharing discussions: Have learners relate the course material to a real-life experience. Real situations or cases. • Example: In a course on leadership development, have learners share experiences where they were all-of-a-sudden been put in charge of some project or activity and describe what happened as well as what they would do differently.

7. Collaborative Writing

Groove. net

8. Web Resource Reviews

8. Perhaps Turn a Resource Review into a Debate

9. Concept Mapping • Visual, Auditory, or Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners prefer diagrams, flowcharts, timelines, pictures, films, and demonstrations.

Concept Mapping: Inspiration Example

10. Annotations and Animations in Electronic Books: Meta. Text (e. Books) • June 2003, Page 4 D • E-books are getting a boost at Book. Expo Free Adobe software helps get word out • By Jefferson Graham USA TODAY • LOS ANGELES -- Ebooks are still alive and are getting a new sales pitch, judging from the weekend's Book. Expo America, the annual booksellers' convention.

Pick an Idea • Definitely Will Use: ______________ • May Try to Use: ______________ • No Way: ______________

Part III. Motivational Strategies: Synchronous E-Learning

Growth in Live-e. Learning (US$M) (Cushing Anderson, 2002, IDC) 65% WW 54% growth in US

Online Learning Goes Synchronous (see Tom Barron, ASTD, Learning Circuits, Jan 2000) “Just when you were getting used to the idea of Web-based training (WBT), with its easy content distribution, electronic bulletin boards, and self-paced learning model, the Web’s technological juggernaut has thrown the workplace learning field a new curve: synchronicity. ”

Synchronous WBT Products Jennifer Hoffman, ASTD, Learning Circuits, (2000, Jan) • Deluxe (Inter. Wise, Learn. Linc, Centra) – 2 -way audio using VOIP, one-way or two-way video, course scheduling, tracking, text chat, assessment (requires thick client-side software) • Standard (Horizon. Live, Place. Ware) – One-way VOIP or phone bridge for two-way audio, text chat, application viewing, (requires thin client-side app or browser plug-in) • Economy (Blackboard, Web. CT) – Browser-based, chat, some application viewing (Requires Java-enabled browsers, little cost, free)

Web Conferencing Tools (e. g. , Meetings, events, seminars, application sharing; see Tom Barron, Demo’ing Synchronous WBT—on the Skinniest of Bandwidths, ASTD, Learning Circuits, Jan 2000) • • • Astound (Genysis) Centra Horizon. Live Interwise Learn. Linc (Mentergy) Lotus Learning. Space (Data. Beam) Net. Podium (Intervu) Place. Ware Web. Ex

“There are, say, 20 features that encompass live e-learning, and all the products have 17 of them. ” Jennifer Hofmann, quoted by Wendy Webb, Online Learning, November, 2001, p. 44.

Web Conferencing Features • Audio (VOIP, bridge) and Videostreaming • Application Sharing or Viewing (e. g. , Word and Power. Point) Includes remote control and emoticons • Text (Q&A) Chat (private and public) • Live Surveys, Polls, and Reports • Synchronous Web Browsing • File Transfer

Web Conferencing Features • Content Windows—HTML, Power. Point • Discussion Boards—post info, FAQs, post session assignments • Archive Meeting—record and playback • Breakout Rooms • Shared Whiteboards • Hand-Raising and Yes/No Buttons

Web Conferencing Features • • Assistant instructor options Pre-session content distribution Assessment/Testing—pre and post session Button—for students to notify instructor they are stepping away. • Breakout Rooms—to share info or gossip • Web Tours

Types of Synchronous Activities 1. Webinar, Webcast 2. Guest speaker or expert moderated (or open) Q&A forum 3. Peer and Expert Chats and Online Communities 4. Wearable and Wireless Technologies 5. Brainstorming ideas, What-Ifs, Quick reflections 6. Online Role Play or 6 Hats Technique 7. Quick Polls/Quizzes, Voting Ranking, Surveys 8. Graphic Organizers in Whiteboard (e. g. , Venn) 9. Synchronous Course Training 10. Discuss Content and Invite Author in for Chat

1. Webinar

1. Live Application Sharing in Horizon. Live

2. Electronic Guests & Mentoring 1. Find article or topic that is controversial 2. Invite person associated with that article (perhaps based on student suggestions) 3. Hold real time chat 4. Pose questions 5. Discuss and debrief (i. e. , did anyone change their minds? ) (Alternatives: Email Interviews with experts Assignments with expert reviews)

2. Chat in Horizon. Live

3. Peer and Expert Chats and Communities

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3. Expert and Peer Chat. Online Language Support and Translation (pronunciation, communication, vocabulary, grammar, etc. )

Typical Features (e. g. , Englishtown (millions of users from over 100 countries) • • • Online Conversation Classes Experienced Teachers (certified ESL) Expert Mentors Peer-to-Peer Conversation Private Conversation Classes Placement Tests Personalized Feedback University Certification Self-Paced Lessons

4. Wireless and Wearable Computing

5. Brainstorming • Come up with interesting or topic or problem to solve • Anonymously brainstorm ideas in a chat discussion • Encourage spin off ideas • Post list of ideas generated • Rank or rate ideas and submit to instructor • Calculate average ratings and distribute to group

5. Group Brainstorming and Decision Making with Group. Systems

5 a. Group Brainstorming in Group. Systems 1. Group. Systems: Although each person has her own computer, everyone is working on the same list of ideas. If Mary from Marketing enters an idea, everyone else sees it.

5 a. Group Brainstorming in Group. Systems 2. Group. Systems: However, all inputs are fully anonymous, so each participant is free to be honest and open. If Joe from Sales doesn't agree with one of Mary's ideas, he can enter his opinion without worrying about offending Mary. Likewise, Mary can debate an issue without even knowing who entered it. Ideas are the focus, not their authors.

5 a. Group Brainstorming in Group. Systems 3. Group. Systems: At the end of the session, Sally, the team leader, creates a report that includes not only the team's end result, but full documentation of each step leading to that outcome. The report is complete and in the participants' own words.

5 a. Sample Tool: Voting Tool

6. Role Play: Six Hats (from De Bono, `985; adopted for online learning by Karen Belfer, 2001, Ed Media) • • • White Hat: Data, facts, figures, info (neutral) Red Hat: Feelings, emotions, intuition, rage… Yellow Hat: Positive, sunshine, optimistic Black Hat: Logical, negative, judgmental, gloomy Green Hat: New ideas, creativity, growth Blue Hat: Controls thinking process & organization Note: technique used in a business info systems class where discussion got too predictable!

7. Synchronous Tools Voting and Polling During Webinar

8. Graphic Organizers (e. g. , Digital Whiteboards)

Mapedit Tool The Mapedit program, was developed to create map overlays, emulating plastic sheets on which symbols are drawn that are laid onto a map (like football playbooks for the maneuver officer). And if students want a whiteboard, they simply have to open a blank overlay (no map background).

Mapedit Tool Mapedit allows multiple users to add, delete, and move symbols and lines on the map overlay. In Mapedit, the driver chooses which file to open, and names the file to save, but all users can edit the contents.

8. Electronic Whiteboard in Horizon. Live

9. Synchronous Training (Coast Guard)

10. Asynchronous Discussion in Site. Scape Forum

10. Discussion plus Chat (e. g. , Starter -Wrapper + Sync Guest Chat) (Discuss books and invite authors in for a chat)

Questions? Comments? Concerns?